New Shopping Center for Chantilly

A new shopping center with a drive-through Wendy's is being proposed for the corner of Route 50 and Airline Parkway just past Route 28 in Chantilly. It would go on 3.5 acres of currently vacant land in front of the Meadows of Chantilly community.

To be called the Shops at Avion, it's being developed by the McLean firm of Stout and Teague. Neel Teague, one of the company's principals, discussed the project at the June 15 meeting of the West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee.

The land is already zoned for commercial/retail use, so it's a by-right venture — meaning that it doesn't require a rezoning or special permit. There'll also be a transportation improvement.

"Airline Parkway is a private road, and the property never had access to [it] until we acquired it," said Teague. "Now, we're working to achieve that."

PROJECT MANAGER Chee Keong Kung, also with Stout and Teague, gave some specifics of what's planned in the shopping center. He said it consists of two buildings with various tenants. One building will be 10,000 square feet, and the other will be 14,000 square feet, for 24,000 square feet total.

"There'll be a Wendy's drive-through and six tenants — a day spa, small restaurants and cafes and a photo-processing place," he said. "There'll be trails along Route 50, and we're putting in a brick wall and trees for transitional screening."

Allen Mushinsky, principal with MV+A Architects of Bethesda, said the entrance will be off Airline Parkway and the Wendy's won't be freestanding; it'll be attached. "The buildings are directed toward smaller, neighborhood users," he said.

Regarding the exterior, he said, "We're looking at what style of architecture needs to be there, but we should make substantial use of masonry and brick. We work with a lot of different [architectural] materials, and the project will have a lot of articulation."

Mushinsky also reassured the WFCCA members that the Shops at Avion will be single-story and mesh neatly with the community. And, he added, "We've already done a lighting plan so that the light won't spill over into the nearby community."

TEAGUE SAID they've already filed their site plan with the county and hope to begin construction by the end of the year and open by summer/fall 2005. "I like it — this is cool," said WFCCA's Rick Duncan. "And I like the one-way traffic circulation [planned for within the shopping center]."

Teague said possible businesses include a coffee place, restaurant, carpet/home furnishings store, electronics shop and other everyday services. "We'd like to see a financial institution [there, too], but not with a drive-through," he said. "I expect we'll end up with eight to 10 tenants."